Final Fantasy XIV online play isn't free on Xbox, requires Game Pass subscription

There's some disappointing news for Xbox gamers looking to try FF14: The game will not only require a paid subscription fee in order to play, but you'll also have to have an active Game Pass subscription too.

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After more than a decade, Final Fantasy XIV is finally coming to Xbox. Square Enix will hold an open beta test starting Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at around 12:00 a.m. (PST) on Xbox Series X/S, where anyone can dive into the world of Eorzea. Well...almost anyone.

The developer has confirmed that an active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Game Pass Core subscription is required to play Final Fantasy XIV's open beta. This is the equivalent of the old Xbox LIVE Gold requirement that online games had years ago, before Microsoft phased-out and re-named Xbox LIVE Gold. PlayStation gamers, on the other hand, do not have to have an active PlayStation Plus subscription to play FFXIV.

The restrictions don't end there. Square Enix also says that existing Final Fantasy XIV players will not be able to play the open beta on Xbox. That means if you've played FF14 on PlayStation or PC, then your account can't be linked to your Xbox account in order to play the beta test when it launches on February 21.

"Players who already have the Free Trial version for a different platform or a FINAL FANTASY XIV license registered to their Square Enix account will be unable to participate in the open beta test. We ask any players, who wish to play FINAL FANTASY XIV on Xbox with an existing Square Enix account and its associated characters, to please wait until the full Xbox launch after the open beta test concludes.

"To play on Xbox, you will need to link your Microsoft account and Square Enix account. You will not be able to unlink the accounts once linked. We ask that existing players please wait until the official release to link your Square Enix account to your Microsoft account."

The good news is that Square plans to launch FFXIV immediately after the beta test concludes, but there's no word on how long the beta will run for.